Arsenal FC travel to Manchester United on August 17, for the Premier League season opener. Yes, it’s only two weeks away now! You can literally start counting down the days now. This week saw Gunners boss Mikel Arteta provided some positive injury/fitness news, in advance of the sun rising on the new season. Defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber will all be fit for the opening act at Old Trafford.
Following the preseason North London derby loss in Hong Kong, on Thursday, Arteta was asked if Timber, Calafiori and Gabriel are doubtful for the beginning of the season.
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“I don’t think so,” Arteta responded. “If they evolve like they’ve been involved in the last few days, the three of them will be available.”
That said, most likely the trio will not feature here, for the midweek friendly against Villarreal. No sense in risking them to injury in exhibition, and then perhaps be facing an injury crisis in the back line for when the games start to actually count.
Elsewhere Belgian forward Leandro Trossard came off injured in the loss to Spurs. His status is yet to be determined, as he’ll undergo scans that will help in assessing the severity of his injury. Safe to say that he might not be risked in this one either.
“He felt a little tweak,” Arteta said of Trossard.
“I think he tried to turn and he was pushed and he felt something muscular so we’ll have to assess him.”
Also, Kepa Arrizabalaga missed out against Spurs, but it was only for precautionary reasons. More on him in the next post.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter